Miami Football: 3 players who will become stars in 2021

2. Gilbert Frierson, Striker

Gilbert Frierson had a breakout season in 2020 for the Hurricanes and he should be considered the best player on the Hurricanes defense heading into the season. He was a bit of a question mark heading into last season, but he showed a good amount of progress and was a consistent player on a defense that had its fair share of struggles in 2020.

Frierson plays the striker position for Miami, which is a bit of a hybrid between a linebacker and defensive back. He was tasked with covering running backs and tight ends in man coverage and being a consistent run defender.

I think the area that Frierson really excelled at was man coverage. He showed consistently that he could cover tight ends and running backs and in some cases, slot receivers. That kind of versatility is really important in a defense that asks you to play a lot of man coverage.

Frierson was the bright spot in what was otherwise a dismal linebacker unit for Miami and he will have to show that he can once again help lead a defense that is hoping for a bounce back from a down season.